Charles Howell III Interview

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Golfer talks Tiger, Augusta, and Thurston Howell III.

By Jon Robinson

He might not be trapped on an island with the Skipper, but Charles Howell III has still mastered the game of golf enough to become a millionaire&#Array;even if he's not so eccentric. In fact, Howell holds the PGA Tour record for the most money won on Tour in his first two seasons and is often paired with video game cover athlete Tiger Woods in tournaments, a perk that no doubt led to Howell's inclusion in his friend's new game, Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005.

Howell recently took some time away from counting his cash to answer some of our questions about the game, the Tour, and, because we couldn't resist, The Island.

IGN Sports: Does anyone ever confuse you with Thurston Howell III?

Charles Howell III: I hear it a lot and I think it is funny. It is amazing all of the things that we hear coming out of the gallery.

IGN Sports: If you were trapped on an island with any golfers, who would you want to be trapped with?

Charles Howell III: Tiger, because not only is he great but we are good friends....Ben Hogan...Bobby Jones.

IGN Sports: Are you a big gamer? What's your favorite video game of all time?

Charles Howell III: Actually, I would call myself a middle of the road gamer. I like to play, but I have not exactly mastered any one particular game. My favorites are first the EA Tiger Woods games, because I am in them, and a more simple game is Bart Simpson's Road Rage.

IGN Sports: How accurate are the analog swings in Tiger Woods compared to the touch you need to make on swings in real life?

Charles Howell III: The swings and shot analysis in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 2005 really are not far off at all. The main difference I've had in the past with the games is that in real life the conditions dictate so much...those factors being wind, temperature, types of grass, moisture level, etc. But I understand that in Tiger Woods 2005 the game has that type of detail and realism which should really change the way the game is played.

IGN Sports: What's your favorite thing about playing a golf video game rather than playing in real life?

Charles Howell III: The best thing on the video game vs. real golf is that the video game is for fun whereas the real life is also fun, but with a lot of stress on top of that.

IGN Sports: What do you think is the most difficult aspect of the game of golf to capture in a video game?

Charles Howell III: The most difficult aspect of golf to capture in a video game is the feelings that go along with the real game. Golf is so much mental in all of the feelings that one goes through such as nervous, anxious, excited, mad, etc.. IGN Sports: If you could incorporate the powers of any video game character into your golf game, what powers would you like to have?

Charles Howell III: I think we all wish we were a little bigger, stronger, etc. but overall I am happy with what I have.

IGN Sports: Is there anything your video game character can do that you wish you could do?

Charles Howell III: Yes, gain weight. My video character looks more than 155lbs. and I would love to put that on.

IGN Sports: You were born in Augusta. Does that automatically mean that you were born with golf in your blood?

Charles Howell III: Well, it does. Myself and my friends all grew up playing golf instead of baseball or basketball. Golf was the cool sport to play in Augusta and we were most certainly not lacking the golf courses.

IGN Sports: How old were you when you first started playing? How old were you when you won your first tournament?

Charles Howell III: I was 7 when I began playing golf and my first big junior tournament win was the Future Masters at age 10 in Dothan, AL.

IGN Sports: Have you ever played Tiger at his own video game?

Charles Howell III: I think the only thing that I have not played Tiger in is in his video game, but I have played him enough in real life.

IGN Sports: If you could win one tournament, which one would you like to win?

Charles Howell III: Clearly, that would be the Masters with not even a close second to that. IGN Sports: What's the hardest shot for you to make in real life? Hardest shot to make in Tiger Woods?

Charles Howell III: The hardest shot in real life is the next one. That is the great thing about golf...every shot can seem easy one day and seem hard the next. It goes to show the mental side of the game. The hardest in TW is all of them for me. I stand to get a lot better in that game.